A Fine Romance
by Jemmiah
Summary: Mace finds himself pondering the meaning of the phrase be careful you don't get what you wish for.


Title: A Fine Romance  
Author: Jemmiah  
Timeframe: Six Years Pre-TPM  
Characters: Qui-Gon Jinn, Mace Windu  
Summary: Mace finds himself pondering the meaning of the phrase "be careful you don't get what you wish for".

He drummed his fingers repeatedly against the table surface, just as he had been doing for the last twenty minutes.

If there was one thing Qui-Gon Jinn embodied then it was punctuality. With his belief in living in the 'here and now', as he liked to put it, there was little room for time wasting. If he couldn't accept bad timekeeping in his own behaviour he certainly wasn't about to condone it in other people. Checking his chrono for what seemed like the thirtieth time in as many seconds, the Jedi made a quick sweep of the surrounding tables and chairs in search of his illusive 'date'.

It was a busy place, full of bustling waiters, impatient customers and courting couples of every imaginable species. The décor was suitably tawdry, Qui-Gon thought, with it's garish plasti Florizan Flamingos hung at regular intervals on the wall, and dimmed lighting creating just the right amount of shadow in which the romantically inclined could comfortably lurk. A large Wookiee waitress passed by holding a platter of multi-coloured, highly toxic looking drinks garnished with tiny palm trees and briefly the Jedi considered ordering one, just to give the appearance that everything was alright. Not that he had any intention of drinking something that looked as if it had been squeezed out of a freshly juiced Yoda…

Had he been stood-up, he wondered?

It wasn't that he cared especially, except that it would be a waste of his time. It always came down to time in the end, for the older one got the more one realised what a precious commodity it was! Obi-Wan no doubt hadn't given the matter any thought at all, even given his propensity to quiet introspection. His partner for the evening must similarly have no sense of urgency at all, which Qui-Gon felt sure did not bode well.

And then of course there was the little matter of why he had subjected himself to this act of self-humiliation. He'd told himself he was doing it for Jemmiah, so that she would be able to improve her grades at school with her ingenious business studies project…but there had been a small part of himself that had been intrigued at the prospect of finding out who exactly might have been "the love of his life".

"A dating agency." Qui-Gon rolled his eyes, resisting the urge to smack himself on the forehead with his palms. "She couldn't choose something normal, like a hairdresser, or a caterer, or a beauty salon…oh, no" A small smile played gently at the edges of Qui-Gon's mouth. When had Jemmiah ever done anything that was regarded as normal? Her business plan had swung fully into action when she and Padawan Perris had collected the details of tens of masters, knights and apprentices and run them through their 'database' as a feasibility check, not expecting for a moment that people would actually be interested in the results. What the council had found mildly disturbing was the fact that numerous individuals had actually decided to meet up as a result of Jemmiah's in-depth findings!

"If I find she's fixed me up with Sal-Fina" Qui-Gon muttered irritably at the table surface"there will be a small amount of bloodshed involved."

It was a risky business…but he was still interested to know what Jemmiah's results had come up with. Over ten thousand Jedi in the temple. What would this person be like? Would he know the individual? What would they have in common? It wasn't as if there were any strings attached: that wasn't the Jedi way. Besides which, if it did turn out to be someone like Sal-Fina he was hardly likely to stick around for long. It was difficult to justify his curiosity no matter how hard he tried to tell himself that what he was doing was of no real importance, but for some time now he had been subjected to the strangest feeling that something - someone - important was about to enter his life. Ever since Tahl's death he'd not even considered a relationship, not one of importance at any rate. Jedi did not fall in love.

Well, that wasn't true. They did: it was just that it couldn't be seen to happen.

Qui-Gon's leg began to jiggle impatiently beneath the table. Five more minutes and then he was going. He'd been sitting there on his own for so long that people were surreptitiously looking at him from behind their menu's, probably speculating as to whether his partner was ever going to show. Not that it was any of their business, but then Coruscant society did tend to be somewhat nosy as a rule. Three tables down from where he was sitting Qui-Gon could just about make out a long-snouted Pethiar peering at him from beneath a tall iced vanilla glass, and just momentarily the master wished the tapir-like creature would accidentally suck the large dillarberry from atop the concoction right up his snout until he went blue in the face…

Not very charitable and perhaps bordering on the dark side, Jinn conceded, but one could live in hope. It was about the only entertaining thing that would happen that evening seeing as how his date had obviously decided not to show.

"Qui-Gon." A voice said in his ear.

Jinn's head whipped round. There, standing before him, was a peculiarly excitable Mace Windu.

"I didn't think to see you here." The usually sober and respected councilman's countenance was strangely animated, almost glowing with anticipation. Qui-Gon couldn't help but frown. Had Mace decided to put a stop to his tryst by tracking him down to the restaurant? Had he threatened Obi-Wan in order to get the location of his secret assignation? Had he somehow bribed Jemmiah into revealing the truth? Obi-Wan might not readily betray his secret, but, as a Corellian Jemmiah would almost certainly do so - if the price were right.

Mace continued in almost breathless fashion, as if anticipating some amazing event.

"It took a while to find this place" he continued, glancing around the tables as if in search of someone"but at least better late than never. Don't worry, I have no intentions of interrupting your own little private function, I'm not here to play the interloper. Jemmiah's project has led to some very interesting developments, did you know" He continued, hardly allowing Qui-Gon to draw breath. "The council were quite pleased to start with. Because amongst the people who were paired up together there are lots of individuals who have now become firm friends who would never even have met if it hadn't have been for this odd scheme! Knights and masters are forming new training groups - and this in turn his allowed new partnerships to develop. We feel this is a good way in which to assess the potential of individuals and who to send together on specific missions…"

"I thought that was the council's job" Qui-Gon said archly, craning his head round Windu's robe in the vain hope of seeing his date. "Don't tell me Jemmiah's offering some competition"

Even though Qui-Gon couldn't see it he could tell that Mace was smiling indulgently, humouring him.

"I hardly think so." Mace continued to scan the area with his eyes, his back still to Qui-Gon. "Especially seeing as how there are some of the padawans who have decided to take Jemmiah's findings seriously and are secretly sneaking around to see each other behind their master's backs. And not just the padawans."

"Is that what you're doing here" Qui-Gon found himself laughing at the very idea of Mace Windu being set up on a blind date.

"It's no funnier than you sitting here on your own, waiting for exactly the same thing." Windu retorted, standing on the balls of his feet and trying to stare past a rather amorous pair of furry creatures belonging to a species he didn't think he'd seen before. "I'm all for the occasional - and distinctly uninvolved - jump into the unknown. Besides which I'm curious as to whom Jemmiah has paired me up with. I was rather picky, I have to admit. I stipulated as many specific characteristics as I could just to see if I could trip her up, but when she said she'd found somebody that matched I was so intrigued as to who it might be that I just had to come along."

"Much the same as I." Agreed Qui-Gon, sighing impatiently. "Although I'm also quite curious as to who makes the perfect dinner partner for the mighty Mace Windu as well. Any clues"

Mace folded his arms, trying to recollect what precisely he had insisted upon.

"Well" he said slowly"Tall…dignified. Intelligent. Good conversationalist. NOT a healer - I didn't fancy discussing the intricacies of involved surgical procedures over a cup of strong caf and 'after dinner mints'. Blue eyes, someone of more mature years. Someone with a padawan, so that we could have something to discuss if all other lines of conversation dried up. Oh" Mace frowned as he finally turned round to face Qui-Gon"Jemmiah said that in order to recognise my dinner partner they would be wearing a pink flower in their robe, and I would do likewise so that we…"

His words trailed into nothingness as he caught sight of Qui-Gon fingering the matching pink passion flower in his own robe, staring slack-jawed in disbelief.

"Snap." Jinn said simply.

Mace lowered himself slowly into the seat opposite Qui-Gon. "You mean to say" he couldn't quite get his head around the idea"that YOU are my ideal dinner date"

"It begins to look that way, wouldn't you say" Jinn replied archly. "Well, that explains what happened to MY dinner date. Obviously there's been some kind of mistake. At least you got all the things on your list. I'm the one who has been somewhat deceived."

"What do you mean" Windu's brows knitted together in a frown.

"I asked" Jinn ticked the points off on his fingers"for someone who was deep-thinking, possessed a good sense of humour and had long hair. I suppose one out of three isn't bad…"

"Do you think the council would permit me dispensation to murder Jemmiah" Windu snorted, playing absently with the napkin before him.

"She wouldn't dare do something like this on purpose." Qui-Gon insisted. "Besides which, you're getting all the things you wanted from this evening. Good company, intelligent conversation…romantic music." He broke off in a grimace as a group of Alderaani musicians began to serenade the pair of them from beside their table.

"I'm not staying here" Windu protested vehemently. "People might get the wrong idea! Especially you with all that feminine long hair…"

Qui-Gon stood up. "Fine." He replied, sliding his chair away from him. "If that's what you wish. I bid you good evening, Mace."

He bowed politely to his friend before turning to head towards the doorway. A fine romance, indeed! Prime example of why, if any proof were needed, that Jedi and matters of the heart should never mix! He'd been a fool to imagine that after Tahl there would ever be anyone who would capture his heart in such a way, and yet the inexplicable feeling still remained that someday, one day…well, who could tell what the future might bring? Even inspite of the lingering disappointment Qui-Gon found the corners of his mouth turning up slightly at the sides when thinking of the expression on Mace's features the moment the truth had sunk in.

If only he could have stayed to see the moment that Mace discovered he was paying the bill for the pre-ordered five-course meal…


End file.
